Preliminary technological insights into Shangshan period pottery from the Xiatang Site, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province

The Xiatang site is a prehistoric settlement of the Shangshan Culture. We used Raman, SEM-EDS, petrography, XRF, FTIR, and thermal expansion analysis to study pottery pigments and bodies. The main phase of the red pigment is hematite (α-Fe2O3), and the raw material is ocher. All painted pottery was decorated before firing. The firing temperature was 900–1000 °C. The chemical composition of the pottery bodies shows little variation, which suggests a common source of raw materials. Principal component analysis of petrographic data divides the samples into three groups. These groups differ in temper use and the degree of raw material refinement. These differences relate to vessel functions and technological traditions. In a broader archeological context, although the pottery technology at the Xiatang site was clearly influenced by the core area of the Shangshan Culture, potters there raised the firing temperature by adapting to local resources.